Biden testing political waters in Florida

(Christopher Dolan/The Times & Tribune via AP)


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MIAMI (AP) — Approaching a time of decision, Vice President Joe Biden tested the political waters in Florida on Wednesday as he mulls over whether to join a 2016 presidential race that's left a lot Democrats wanting more choice.

Biden attended a fundraiser Wednesday night for Senate Democrats after a speech at Miami Dade College promoting the administration's education agenda. At every turn, he's been watched for any hints about his 2016 ambitions as Democrats debate whether the race would benefit from his taking on Hillary Rodham Clinton or whether he'd be coming to the contest too late.

He may have dropped a hint at the college, saying, "People who aren't willing to risk failing never succeed."

But the remark, at least on its surface, was about the courage it takes for students to go back to community college after being out for years.

Biden later mingled with the types of donors he'd need to challenge Clinton for the nomination.

At the fundraiser, Biden spoke about the need to elect more Democrats to the Senate but did not address his 2016 plans, according to two donors who attended the event. The donors, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Biden's remarks at the private fundraiser, said the vice president offered a lengthy defense of the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran.

The donors said Biden did not touch upon Clinton's campaign but praised Sanders for doing a good job energizing the party. The dinner to benefit the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was attended by several Clinton fundraisers.

At Miami Dade College, Biden said he and President Barack Obama had sought to address the economic disparities between the wealthy and poor and that the nation was on the verge of an "economic renaissance." He spoke about the administration's plan to provide two years of free community college to students as a building block for future generations.

Noting the large press corps following him, Biden joked, "Their interest in community college has impressed me greatly!" At one point during his speech, what appeared to be a butterfly soared overhead, prompting Biden to quip, "The butterfly agrees with me!" He later brushed off reporters' questions on whether he would run.

Interest in a Biden bid has intensified in recent weeks as Clinton has struggled with what some Democrats consider a lackluster start to her campaign and scrutiny over her use of a private email account and server as President Barack Obama's secretary of state.

"There's a malaise inside the race right now with Clinton," said Tony Bisagnano, an Iowa state senator who backed Biden's campaign in 2008 and wants him to run again. "People I know who are supporting her are not necessarily withdrawing, but are unenthusiastic."

But he cautioned, "We're getting close to where it's going to be a tough race if he waits much longer."

A Democrat familiar with Biden's deliberations said recent discussions have focused on whether Biden's family would be ready to pursue a third presidential campaign only months after the death of the vice president's son, Beau Biden.

Also under consideration is whether Biden can meet the basic criteria to be a serious contender, such as whether he would have a plausible path to victory in the campaign and whether he would be able to raise enough money to be competitive.

The Democrat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the private conversations.

Biden's trip to Florida, one of the nation's premiere campaign battleground states, includes meetings with Jewish leaders on Thursday who are skeptical of Obama's effort to win support for the nuclear deal with Iran.

He then heads to Pittsburgh to march in a Labor Day parade on Monday with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who met privately with the vice president last week and says "the field is still wide open" if Biden decides to run.

The travels mark the latest chapter in Biden's deliberations, which have included private discussions with family members and longtime aides at his Delaware home and a Naval Observatory meeting with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a popular liberal whose endorsement would be coveted by any Democratic candidate.

Warren said Wednesday that she and Biden had "a good long rambly policy conversation" at the Naval Observatory. Asked whether Biden raised the possibility of her running for vice president with him, Warren would only say, "It was a long conversation."

Biden is expected to decide within a month and Democrats say he would need to join the field in advance of the first televised debate on Oct. 13. Should he do so, he'll face several major obstacles against a field that includes Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and others.

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Associated Press writers Josh Lederman in Seward, Alaska, and Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report.

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Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/kthomasdc

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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On Thursday night, Biden will pitch the Iran deal in an address to Jewish leaders in Atlanta. He then heads to Pittsburgh to march in a Labor Day parade on Monday with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who met privately with the vice president last week.

Trumka, speaking to reporters at a breakfast on Tuesday, suggested Biden still has a valid path if he decides to enter the race, noting that many voters are just beginning to pay attention to the process. "The field is still wide open. There's still a lot of time," Trumka said.

The travel to Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania will mark the latest chapter in Biden's deliberations, which have included private discussions with family members and longtime aides at his Delaware home and a Naval Observatory meeting with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a popular liberal whose endorsement would be coveted by any Democratic candidate.

The discussions come even as Biden and his family mourn the death of Beau Biden, the former Delaware attorney general.

"I know he's still going through a lot of pain and suffering over the loss of his son," said Steve Shurtleff, the New Hampshire House Democratic leader who backed Biden's unsuccessful 2008 primary campaign. "His brain may be telling him one thing but his heart may be telling him another thing."

Biden is expected to decide within a month and Democrats say he would need to join the field in advance of the first televised debate on Oct. 13. Should he do so, he'll face several major obstacles against a field that includes Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and others.

He has not been to Iowa or New Hampshire, the first two states on the presidential calendar, in months. While a recent poll in Iowa showed Biden in a respectable third place against Clinton and Sanders, both are building large campaign organizations in the leadoff states and raising millions of dollars. Sanders has drawn large, enthusiastic crowds to his rallies around the country, energizing his campaign.

Clinton collected $45 million during the fundraising quarter that ended in June and has lined up more than two-dozen fundraising events in September. She is scheduled to attend three fundraisers in South Florida on Oct. 2.

"It's tough to change that deal for people who have been committed to her for so long," said John Morgan, a Florida attorney who is raising money for Clinton. "We've already had fundraisers, we've already written checks. We've already asked our friends to write checks. I think it would be an uphill climb."

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Associated Press writer Josh Lederman in Seward, Alaska, contributed to this report.

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Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/kthomasdc

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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